The Yankees continue to battle injuries, and one young player was in line to earn reps in 2020; however, he’s better of developing in the farm.
The New York Yankees‘ prospect list is headlined by pitcher Deivi Garcia, who climbed the farm-system in just three months last season. His skill-set and youth have brewed a sense of optimism regarding his potential for reaching the majors in 2020.
However, it seems as if he needs a bit more time to develop after struggling during Grapefruit League play. Deivi finished his spring before the MLB shut down operations with a 7.36 ERA, and seven runs allowed over 7.1 innings. His statistically poor performance was accompanied by eight strikeouts and a more prioritized curveball. His accuracy and consistency in that category remain his biggest weakness, as his speed and ball-movement continue to feature as his best attributes.
The New York Yankees might have needed him in 2020:
With James Paxton going down with a cyst in his lower back and expected to return in early-May, Garcia was in line for potential innings at the back-end of the rotation. Factor in the loss of Luis Severino and suddenly the starting rotation was being stripped clean of their best talents.
Garcia’s incredible curve-ball and fastball, which as touched 97 MPH keep him atop the Yankees’ prospect rankings, and rightfully so. He has replaced Estevan Florial as the Yankees’ most exciting youth play. MLB Pipeline ranks him as the No. 3 overall prospect for the Bombers, but Baseball America considers him the 2nd overall prospect.
What the Bombers saw in Garcia landed him a contract of just $200K, while Jasson Dominguez earned a $5.1 million international signing bonus at just 16-years-old. Garcia is nearly 21, and he landed just a fraction of that massive number, despite being one of the top options in the farm.
Factoring in his youth, I don’t believe Garcia will play for the top team this season, instead working his way up the minors and adapting to each level of play. Luckily, he has plenty of time to refine his skills.